Apparatus for separating fine metal particles from sand and ore pulps



Oct- 13, 1925- F. s. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR SEIARATING FINE METAL PARTICLES FROM SAND AND ORE PULPS Filed June 1924 fiwentar' Patented (Jet. 13, less.

1,557,499 UNITED asides.

FRANK 's. MORGAN, or BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FINEMETAL PARTICLES FROM SAND- AND PULPS.

Application filed June 9,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK S. ltlonenu, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Fics iaratiug Fine Metal Particles from Sand and @re Pulps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus "for separating fine metal particles from sand andore pulps. A

In mining districts where placer deposits containing tine or liour gold, platinuinand other precious metals are encountered, and particularly where the precious metals are mixed with so called black sands, experience has shown that itis practically impossible to save the fine values. Sluice boxes, concentrating tables, belts and so on, have been employed and numerous forms of riii'lcs and other retaining devices have been used, also, surfaces covered with burlap, canvas, blankets, matting, etc, but all to no avail as the black sand settles and packs to such an 6X. tent that the floured or fine values do not have a chance to lodge and as such are can ried away with the sluice or wash water.

The object of the present invention is to provide a durable, efi'ective surface for sluices, tables, belts and other workingsun faces over which the sand from a placer deposit or the pulp from a mill is compelled to travel, and which may be used instead of riflled surfaces, blankets, etc, at less eX- pense and with more effective results, and particularly to provide a resilient cellular surface such as sponge rubber matting or the like which will prevent packing of the black sand, and which will constantly present afree unobstructed surface for retention of the fine or floured values.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following de scription and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a section of sponge rubber matting.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an ordinary sluice box showing the manner of securing the sponge rubber matting in the bottom thereof.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical. section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

The invention consists in providing a resilient cellular surface which may be applied to sluice boxes, concentrating tables,

so called sponge rubber as shown in Fig. l.v

Thissponge rubber is cut and shaped to fit the bottom of the sluicebox and is placed as indicated at B. It may be secured to the bottom of the sluice box by driving a; few nails through the sponge rubber matting. at (litt e-rent points, or it may be secured by side strips as indicated at 4.

Severe sections of sponge rubber matting are preferably employed and they are placed end for end in the bottom of the sluice box as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,11 cross strip 5 being disposed between each. section to separate them and also to form a ri 'flie or stop to collect the concentrates'and black sands which will have worked through the matting, the material working through-the matting being discharged through transverse slotsz6 formed in the bottom o l the sluice box or at the sides thereof.

In actual practice it may be supposed that water is delivered to the sluice box in the usual manner and that the sluice box is placed on a grade which will insure a sufficient velocity of the water. The sand and gravel from the placer deposit my be shoveled directly into the sluice box, it the formation is sufliciently fine, or they may be delivered to a grizzly to remove excessively large boulders and other waste mate 1211 before the sand and gravel are delivered to the sluice box. Boulders are not objectionable, providing they are not too large, and the material passing through the grizzly should therefore be permitted to contain a fairly large proportion of course. material.

The lighter sands and gangue are almost immediately separated from the heavier material by the wash action of the water, and they are carried to the discharge point of the sluice by the water. The gravel and smaller boulders are similarly washed down over the bottom section of the sluice and discharged, while the heavier sands, such as black sand, ruby sand or the like containing no gold and other values, settle to the bottom, where they enter the pores or cells of the rubber matting. The rubber matting is so resilient that the wash action of the water maintains the upper surface in a continuous condition of vibration. This is eX- ceedingly important as the vibratory move ment thus transmitted is sufficient to keep the black sand from settling and packing. In other words the vibration keeps the black sand and fine values moving and settling in the pores of the sponge rubber matting and the greater proportion of the black sand and values will thus work completely through the matting and thus collect on the bottom A of the sluice box. A certain amount of water also passes through thepores or cells of the matting and this water keeps the material moving along the bottom of the sluice until it strikes the transverse slots 6, where it is discharged and collected in launders provided for its reception.

Smaller boulders and similar objects rolling down over the surface of the rubber matting are in no manner objectionable but, if anything, have proven a benefit as they forcibly strike the rubber matting and as such alternately compress and relieve the same. The impact obtained by the rolling action of the smaller boulders and larger pebbles is thus beneficial as it continuously compresses and relieves the resilient material, thus assisting and preventing any packing action, and furthermore assisting in working the material through the pores so that it may be collected on the bottom of the sluice.

Itwill be understood that the application of sponge rubber matting to a sluice has merely been illustrated to show one use thereof. I have found that it is equally etficient as a covering for surfaces of concentrating tables, belts and other working surfaces, and I therefore do not wish to limit its use to sluice boxes only. It may further bestated that it is not essential that the values work completely through the matting as the matting may be removed from time to time to clean the same for the purpos of removing the values.

Sponge rubber when bought commercially in large sheets is usually provided with a top and bottom surface known as the rind. One of these rind-like surfaces may be retained where it is desired to prevent the concentrates from working through, but both rinds are removed where the concentrates should work through as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, one rind being indicated at 7 in Fig. 1.

While sponge rubber matting has been described and illustrated, I wish it understood that any other resilient cellular material may be employed which has a similar action, the main object being to provide a concentrating or retaining surface or material which will prevent packing of the black sands or concentrates.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A separating device comprising a conduit having an imperforate wall with a concentrating surface of a readily yieldable sponge-like material of a thickness involving a plurality of cells lying on said wall.

2. An apparatus for separating fine metal particles from sand, ore pulps and like materials, comprising an inclined support over which the material to be treated may flow, and a layer of soft resilient sponge rubber of a thickness involving a plurality of cells forming a covering for said support.

FRANK S. MORGAN. 

